Just One Date
by gijane197702
Summary: Ted Tonks tries again to get a date from Andromeda Black. Special appearance by the Marauders.


Just One Date  
Gijane  
Rating: G  
Summary: As I was writing a R/T fic based on the same idea and the new discussion on metamorficmoon, this plotbunny hopped into my head.  
Disclaimer: Andromeda Black, Ted Tonks, and any other of the beloved characters featured are from The Magical World of Harry Potter, which belongs to JK Rowling and Associates. I'm just borrowing them to entertain the fans until Book 7.

This is my first branching out from RT (went real far, didn't I?)

Andromeda Black watched, just out of sight in the shadows the entrance hall staircase, as Ted Tonks reprimanded her cousin Sirius and his gang of little friends for yet another infraction.

After he had dismissed them, she stepped out into the corridor. Sirius caught sight of her and stomped up to her. "Oi, Andi, can't you talk to Tonks there! He's being a right foul git."

"What did you four do now?" she asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

Andromeda closed her eyes at the grins that spread across Sirius and James Potter's faces. Peter Pettigrew twitched nervously and Remus Lupin looked like he was wishing he was anywhere but where he was. "We locked Filch's cat in a broom cupboard."

Suppressing a smile, she said in a relatively calm tone, "And why did you do that, Mr Black?"

"Mr Black…please. Andi, quite trying to play Head Girl with me. Call me Sirius. You're the only other normal member of my family. And 'cause she was…er…'cause…" Sirius trailed off at a loss and looked towards Lupin.

"Because she was purposely snaking around our feet, trying to get us to yell at her in the Library," Lupin said serenely.

Andromeda arched an eyebrow at him, unsure whether or not to believe him. Lupin seemed like a good kid, even if he hung around with her cousin. "What did Mr Tonks do?"

"He gave us detention!" Sirius cried in an injured voice. Potter nodded his agreement at the injustice. Pettigrew looked ready to bolt. Lupin was studying her, probably wondering if she had believed him or not.

"And if I have caught you, I would have given you detention and written to your mother as well." She bit her tongue as Sirius gaped at her. Nodding at his friends, they stomped off grumbling. Andromeda closed her eyes and bit her tongue harder as she tried not to laugh.

"Thanks for that," came Ted's voice.

Her eyes popped open. There he was, looming over her, Prefect and Captain's badges pinned to his robes. His tie was askew and his shirt was half un-tucked, but the fading sunlight glinted off his honey blonde curls highlighted how even more handsome he really was.

Andromeda sighed. If anyone in her family, besides Sirius, suspected that she fancied a Gryffindor, not to mention a Muggleborn, she'd be locked up in the attic of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place and the key would be thrown away.

Clearing her throat, Andromeda managed, "Well, I've been dealing with Sirius since the day he was born." Ted chuckled. "He's a good kid, considering…"

"You're good too, Andromeda," he told her, quite serious all of a sudden.

"Did I hear you properly, Mr Tonks?" she said in a slightly mocking tone. "Did a Gryffindor just say that there was such thing as a good Slytherin?"

Ted threw his head back and laughed loudly. "Most Slytherins are decent," he said. "There's just a few that give your House a bad name."

Andromeda's eyes widened. "Why, thank you."

"You're quiet welcome. And my name is Ted. Now…have you rethought my offer of my escort for this weekend?"

"You know I can't! A Slytherin and a Gryffindor? It'll never happen!"

"Never?" Ted asked amused.

Andromeda paused. "Well, perhaps not ever…but you know what I mean!"

"No, no, I don't," he said quietly.

"Listen, I know you're a great guy, but you're Muggleborn," pausing at his arched eyebrow. "What? Oh! No, no! I didn't mean it like that!" she rushed to explain so he didn't misunderstand. "You yourself just said I was good. Not all of us use foul language. Mudblood," Andromeda spat out. "I hate that word. Dirty blood…please! I have the purest blood flowing through my veins and look at-"

"Your family," Ted finished gently for her.

"Exactly. If my mother or aunt ever found out I was talking to you, let alone a date…" Andromeda trailed off.

"I see," he murmured.

"I'd really like to go with you; really I would, but…"

"I see," Ted repeated. "But seriously, Andro-"

"Andromeda!" Narcissa's voice called out in her usual clipped tone. "What are you doing?"

Andromeda spun around to watch her younger sister haughtily march up to them. Narcissa gave Ted a snooty once-over, and then grabbed her sister's arm.

"Let's go," she said as she led her sister away, ignoring Ted completely.

"Goodbye, Miss Black. Miss Narcissa," he called. Andromeda glanced over her shoulder and giggled as Ted mockingly bowed to them. Well, mockingly to Narcissa at any rate.

"You shouldn't encourage him at all," Narcissa was saying as she continued to lead Andromeda into the Great Hall and over to the Slytherin table. "You know Mummy and Aunt Walburga will never approve of him. He's a Mudblood. Not to mention a Gryffindor."

Andromeda ignored her as she sat down. She frowned down the table at her first year cousin Evan Rosier, who was sitting with that troublemaking kid Snape again. Narcissa slid in next to sixth year Lucius Malfoy and flirtatiously smiled up at him. She shot her sister a dark look as Andromeda pretended to vomit into her goblet. Malfoy's two goony sidekicks, Crabbe and Goyle, laughed annoying loud.

"Come now, Miss Black," Malfoy said in an amused tone as he stroked Narcissa's platinum blonde hair.

Andromeda ignored him as well. He originally had made an overture towards her, since she was the older sister, and was properly rebuked. However, even she had to admit that he and Narcissa was a perfect couple with their matching blonde hair and perfect looks and impeccable bloodlines. If the rumours surrounding him were correct, and Aunt Walburga was rarely wrong, Lucius Malfoy was already knee deep involved with You-Know-Who, just like her sister, Bellatrix, and her husband.

"Who were you talking about, darling?" Malfoy cooed to Narcissa, who whimpered lovingly. Andromeda wanted to smack him. Her sister was still only fifteen!

"Oh, no one important. That Mudblood Gryffindor prefect actually had the nerve to talk to Andromeda," Narcissa told him.

"We were discussing Sirius' detention," Andromeda said through clenched teeth, trying not to show her disgust. "Our darling little cousin decided to lock Filch's cat in a broom cupboard."

Malfoy and his goons uproariously laughed, causing most of the staff table, and the Great Hall, to glance in their direction. Andromeda caught Ted's perplexed glance, and immediately lowered her eyes.

"I can't believe that upstart Mudblood actually had the nerve to talk to you," Malfoy sneered. "Some people just don't know their place."

Andromeda's stomach rolled and she lost her appetite. Pushing her plate away, she stood and said, "I'm off to study again. NEWT's are in a fortnight."

She inclined her head towards Malfoy and most of the other neighbouring Slytherin males that had rose when she had. They might be total prats and products of their upbringings, but they were gentlemen at times.

She had made it three-fourths of the way down the corridor that lead to the common room, when she heard Ted's voice calling out to her, "Miss Black…Miss Black…Andromeda…wait!"

"Mr Tonks," she hissed. "What are you doing down here!" Without saying another word, Andromeda yanked aside a tapestry and pushed Ted into a secret passageway. "_Lumos_," she muttered, igniting the tip of her wand. Grabbing his hand, hearing him lit his own wand; she guided him down the corridor. Pushing aside another tapestry, they emerged into the Potions corridor.

"We're on the other side of the school," Ted exclaimed.

"Yes, that passageway is the easiest way to get to the Slytherin common room from Potions. The kitchens and the Hufflepuffs are down that way," she said, waving a hand towards another corridor. "Now, what were you thinking…following me out of the Great Hall?"

"Well, you looked upset-" he began, but Andromeda cut him off.

"Listen, Edward, you can't be doing that. I was quiet serious about my family-"

"And I'm quiet serious as well!" It was his turn to cut across her. "If I don't make my move now, I'll never get to make it."

"Ed-"

He silenced her protest with a kiss. Andromeda froze with shock, but soon felt herself responding. Ted nipped gently on her bottom lip and she opened her mouth so he could deepen the kiss. She wasn't sure how long the kiss lasted or if it was on kiss or several, but eventually Ted pulled back and smiled down at her.

"I've fancied you since fifth year. Yet you wouldn't give me the time of day. I understand all about your family, but school's almost over. We're adults now. They won't control you forever, but if it comes to it I'm ready and willing to take them on. Give me a chance…please."

Andromeda looked up into his dark eyes. She wanted to believe that he was willing and capable to take on her family. But she also knew her family, how obsessed they were with their purebloodedness.

"Trust me, Andi."

With those three words, she did. Andromeda knew that he'd fight for her. And she wanted him too.

"All right, you've got yourself a date,"


End file.
